$1,176,000! That is how much Jon Rahm has to pay the DP World Tour as fines for playing in LIV Golf events. Luckily, he was able to appeal the sanction allowing the Spaniard to tee off in the events on the European circuit. However, his fellow Spanish LIV Golf pro wasn’t, and still isn’t, fortunate enough to experience the same. Sergio Garcia will have to pay an exorbitant fee to even become a part of the European League.

The 44-year-old, as per The Times, has by now accumulated a mind-boggling $2 million (approximately £1.5 million) in penalty dues for joining LIV Golf and teeing off at its events. And this, Garcie will have to pay off if he is to become part of the Luke Donald-led 2025 European Ryder Cup team.

Being a part of the European squad? Well, for that, the golfer will have to regain his DP World Tour card, something he is seriously considering. “Obviously he resigned his membership, but we have had some chats,” said Luke Donald in an interview recently. “He is considering rejoining. He’d have to follow all the rules and regulations like everyone else, and if he does that, he will be eligible to partake in the Ryder Cup.”

But be it good luck or bad luck for Sergio Garcia, he is not the only athlete from LIV Golf being considered. “If you fulfill the regulations and the rules that the DP World Tour set, then you’re eligible,” divulged the skipper before alluding to the likes of Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. “There’s a bunch of LIV guys that play on LIV; they are eligible now, so I can pick them at will.”

Yes, you read that right! Therein lies the difference between the two LIV golfers and Garcia. While the former duo are still part of the European circuit, Garcia resigned from the same back in 2023. Looking back, it would be something he is probably regretting now, especially after the new Ryder Cup regulations for European athletes came out along with Donald’s recent comments.

What happened between Sergio Garcia and the DP World Tour?

The Spanish Ryder Cup star joined LIV Golf back in 2022 in its inaugural edition. As a result, Garcia, along with 16 other members of the Saudi-backed league, were fined and suspended. Then came the appeal against the European Tour led by the likes of Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui, and others. However, the golfers lost the legal battle with a U.K. arbitration panel judging in the DP World Tour’s favor. Meaning: The circuit had every right to fine and suspend its players for competing on LIV Golf.

But the major part of the drama came after that. 16 of those 17 golfers paid the dues that were fined against them, the lone one being Garcia. “Sergio Garcia has not paid his £100,000 fine,” read the tour statement. “Nor has he given any indication that he intends to. We will therefore take appropriate action if he continues not to respect the Sport Resolutions panel’s decision.”

Soon after, the Spanish pro went ahead and resigned from the DP World Tour, causing him to be excluded from teeing off at the Ryder Cup as well. Although he did declare his intention to pay back a fine of around $767585.94 (£700,000), he unfortunately missed the deadline to apply for the 2024 Tour membership.

And now, coming back to the present, the golfer sure will have to go through a bit more than what his fellow LIV Golf Pros went through to tie off at the Ryder Cup. But hopefully, Garcia can keep his legacy going with another appearance at the biennial tournament!